Ted Sequel Announced, Wahlberg CoHosting 2013 Oscars with Seth Mcfarlane

[Sgt Floyd]

Dan Vs doesn't have that kind of humor! Dan Vs has the kind of humor similar to Pinky and the Brain and Calvin and Hobbes

I like to plug Dan Vs whenever I can, because it's proof the entertainment industry hasn't completely gone downhill yet

 

[D'Snowth]

I wasn't even talking about cable cartoons... those are kind of in a league of their own... even though I have my complaints in that department as well, I'm keeping the rant on topic with the subject of network shows (live action and cartoon), and movies.

 

[jvcarroll]

I get what the three of you are saying, but now I feel compelled to add my own half-a-cent's worth to the discussion:

The entertainment industry seems to be in a pickle right now that most execs actually DON'T want to get out of, and people like Seth are partly to blame. Now, I'm not saying that Seth is a bad artist, or a bad entertainer, but his style of work, and his brand of humor is exactly what the problem is: most of entertainment today is just plain garbage. I don't mean on an artistic level, I mean on a content level. Just take a look at television today, and what do you see? Garbage. Just plain ol' garbage. There's very little intelligent entertainment on TV today, and what little bit that IS intelligent STILL has trashy undertones to it, because entertainers, studios, execs, et al, have this mentality that a show HAS to be dirty in order to sell. As I've said before, that's been my biggest complaint with The Big Bang Theory: on paper, what is this show supposed to be about? The lives of a bunch of nerds, right? THAT sounds like it would be a GREAT show! BUT, who's behind the show? Chuck Lorre, whose notorious for bawdy humor, so whenever you turn on Big Bang, what do you frequently see? The characters in bed with each other. Even those kind of escapades on Seinfeld weren't THAT frequent, and that's one of the things that show was known for. I'd rather see a show about a bunch of nerds than just keep seeing various characters in bed with various other characters.

Movies aren't much better either; as I said earlier, low-brow comedies are a dime a dozen anymore, and there seems to be more of them in theaters than anything these days. It's like the people behind these shows and movies just simply don't care anymore. They have characters, sure, they have a premise, okay, but all of that gets tossed aside, and instead, more focused is place on how many fart jokes they can fit in, how much poop a character can eat, how gross can we make this gag, who should be put in bed with who and how often, among other things. I mean, you know, not to sound egotistical, but I write most of my own material, and it is honestly NOT HARD AT ALL to write something genuinely funny without having to resort to bawdy, gross, questionable, explicit, and downright raunchy humor, and people tell me quite often that they find my work to be very clever and funny, so see? I'm an example of what can be done when more focus is put into characters and stories as opposed to what you can and can't get away with.

And again, that's a problem with entertainment today, because that's all studios are willing to crank out, nothing else, and you know something? I'm not the only one who's sick of it. Look at older shows and movies posted on YouTube, reading through all the comments from people saying, "I miss this kind of entertainment", "Why did they stop making stuff like this", "Why can't shows/movies be like this today", "How did we go from quality to poo", etc. Well, there's people like myself who are TRYING to bring that concept back, our own Xerus is another one, but sadly, the chances for us are pretty slim, because we DON'T include sex, violence, and poop in our work, and apparently, you have to have that stuff in order to be noticed.

I said it in another thread: you heard of the Rural Purge? We need like that Arthur episode, we need an actual Cleanup Brigade. For the good of the people.

First, I must state how much I love Big Bang Theory. It's like crack that I buy by the season on Blu-ray then lend to all my friends. I believe you're only seeing particular episodes because your claims are absolutely not indicative of the series as a whole. What's it about? Well, shows like Guys with Kids are clearly "about" something and they have no problem boring people to death with running that into the ground. BBT has a very simple and age-old dynamic. It's basically about the friendship between two best friends and the girl next door. Everything else is subplot and context. The show is always amazingly funny. People seem to forget that the mildest episode of TV's classic Soap is still more controversial than most sitcoms today. Two and a Half Men and many other programs may deserve some scorn, but not the very sweet Big Bang Theory. I'm okay about people not liking what I do. I just don't like them being incorrectly painted.

Go back and what All in the Family. It's funny, few of today's audiences would watch it no matter what their intellect. It's extremely preachy and speaks to a time that doesn't seem relevant to them. They're missing out because it's genius and I'm fortunate to have grown up watching it. It was also racy and controversial in parts. Sex and relationships are a part of life and they should be a part of television writing in some context no matter what the program or what the era.

The truth is TV has changed. Executives have taken note of how much women watch television so they churn out endless reality programs to cater to them. Even though lots of people watch reality programs, that's the main market for Bachelor and Idol. I think women are being underestimated greatly! I also believe that's what killed the soaps. I welcome any and all scripted programs and give them a fair first-shake because of all the reality trash TV that's on.

Shows I like:

I like both the BBC's Sherlock and CBS' Elementary. They're both fresh, modern takes on Sherlock Holmes that could easily have been drivel. They have great casts and writers and they are one of the few good examples at making something old, new again.

Shameless is amazing. I couldn't quite grab onto the original UK program because the cockney accents are so thick that I couldn't understand them, but Sho's version is incredible. I'd never want to live near these people or live their lives. Still, it's just so interesting, funny, poignant and sad. It's also a reality for many people.

I like the kitschy quality of Glee as a guilty pleasure. It also deals with themes that ease relations between different groups of people. Sure it's all too easily resolved in the end, but at least they're trying. I can't help but love that program even with its ridiculous writing. The spirit of the show has its heart in the right place and there's a lot to be said about that.

Fringe was really great television. It must have taken divine intervention for Fox to keep it on the air. It's also one of those rare shows that glorifies science while admitting the idea of the existence of God. You have to pay attention, but it's always there. I encourage people to Netflix it. It's not some X-Files wannabe. Fringe is its own beautiful piece of television.

I also like Supernatural, even though the show has been running on fumes for the past two seasons. It's more than just a far-fetched monster movie of the week serial. It's funny and absurd and never takes itself too seriously. The series arc from 1-5 is rather impressive too. American Horror Story is also a well performed program of sci-fi pulp.

But the best bit of television comes from across the pond. If you haven't been checking out the reboot of Doctor Who since 2005, well you're missing out and really have no place to complain about the state of television. I'm not even kidding about that. I can't imagine any Henson fan not relating to the sentiment and awesomeness of the Doctor. It's such a beautifully written, strange, scary and heartwarming show that can easily be streamed or rented on Netflix. It hits its stride with a different Doctor in season two and has maintained its excellence since.

 

[D'Snowth]

I have one more thing to add:

Everybody complains that entertainment today is "too politically correct"... I ask, how is anything I just previously pointed out politically correct? Seriously? Back in the day, there were actually practices and standards that are virtually non-existence today... there really isn't a whole lot of practices and standards in general anymore, so where's all this political correctness that everybody is complaining about? Just about the only "political correctness" I see these days is every cast having to have a token ethnic character, otherwise it comes across as "non-inclusive", but that's it.

As for All in the Family, yes, it's a great show, and yes, it was controversial and edgy for the time, BUT, it was an intelligent show, it had substance, it was very ground-breaking... that's what most shows miss these days: they may be controversial, and they may be edgy, but they lack intelligence and substance.

And I can't really give an objective opinion on most of the other shows you've mentioned since I haven't seen a lot of them, but I DO disagree with Glee, I find it to be just another sheep in the flock; sure, it's musical, that makes it stand out, but the rest of the show is just the same as everything else on TV, I find.

 

[jvcarroll]

I have one more thing to add:

Everybody complains that entertainment today is "too politically correct"... I ask, how is anything I just previously pointed out politically correct? Seriously? Back in the day, there were actually practices and standards that are virtually non-existence today... there really isn't a whole lot of practices and standards in general anymore, so where's all this political correctness that everybody is complaining about? Just about the only "political correctness" I see these days is every cast having to have a token ethnic character, otherwise it comes across as "non-inclusive", but that's it.

As for All in the Family, yes, it's a great show, and yes, it was controversial and edgy for the time, BUT, it was an intelligent show, it had substance, it was very ground-breaking... that's what most shows miss these days: they may be controversial, and they may be edgy, but they lack intelligence and substance.

And I can't really give an objective opinion on most of the other shows you've mentioned since I haven't seen a lot of them, but I DO disagree with Glee, I find it to be just another sheep in the flock; sure, it's musical, that makes it stand out, but the rest of the show is just the same as everything else on TV, I find.

Well, the music drives the show on Glee. The story is always second to whatever songs they managed to secure the rights to that week. Even so, they still do have some good storylines mixed into the muck and it certainly is groundbreaking in some areas. It's the first show to address transgender people in a legitimate way that doesn't make them serial killers or shameful people. I guess we all see life and television through their own prism. I try to see outside of that too. The T of LGBT will be a growing topic in the future. Glee bravely got their first and I think they will be remembered for that.

Other than that, I don't really know what you're talking about concerning standards and practices. My parents wouldn't let me watch certain shows when I grew up. They can still do that now. As for adults, there are choices. Many choices. There are really tame shows out there. I guess your complaint is that they're not getting good writers for them and I agree. I think the issue is that those shows aren't representative of much of the culture anymore so the good artists don't want to participate.

 

[charlietheowl]

I've got to side with Jamie here on everything about television stated except his thoughts on BBT; I've seen at least 25 to 35 episodes of the show with my mother (it's her favorite) and the overwhelming majority of jokes on there are sexual-related. Maybe not all the plots are, but that show is fueled by sex and sexuality. But I think that television is flourishing right now with people willing to push the envelope and strive for great. American Horror Story is groundbreaking television, as it takes the basic tropes of suspense and science fiction and brings them all together, not being afraid to look momentarily silly or ridiculous if it will serve the show in the end. As for shows not mentioned, Parks and Recreation is one of the most brilliantly funny and humane shows on television, probably of all time. The characters on there may do stupid things at times, but they are all sharply drawn, with realistic emotions and desires and hopes and faults.

I think that television and movies have always had vulgarities and crudities and whatnot, but that doesn't mean you have to focus on them. There's always stuff that will transcend the common form. Entertainment was not uniformly better in the old days. Trash has been around forever and will always be around. No one remembers the trash from the old days. I guarantee there are dozens of lousy sitcoms from the sixties and seventies that are sitting around gathering dust in a vault on NBC/CBS/ABC property because they couldn't sell them in reruns, and same with movies. People only remember the stuff that stands the test of time, and we don't have the gift of being able to separate the wheat from the chaff right now. Twenty years from now people will be wishing that entertainment was like it was now when watching clips of 30 Rock or Mad Men online.

 

[Drtooth]

For what it's worth, I do think American Dad is better written and more intelligent than Family Guy. American Dad doesn't rely on blatant parodies and cutaways to the extend Family Guy does. I'd even dare say it's the best animated show on Fox right now, and that's saying something coming from me, who really doesn't care for it THAT much anyway...

Hear Hear. I'm far more the fan of American Dad than I am Family Guy, and the better writing talent resides on that show. 2 of the head writers worked on Pepper Ann, one of the most brilliant girls' program ever, and a sadly underrated one at that. The irony is, that show almost stopped being preachy by the time that was all FG had going for it. I'm amazed by the James Bond parody episode. They took the lamest of stock parodies and found every single twist they could, especially the jokes about how the evil lair was screwed up by the contractors.

McFarlane is certainly not high-brow. Still, I have to call complete malarkey on the idea that his programming has crippled future entertainers. Every generation has its lazy artists. Most of the creative people that I appreciate have studied the classics. These masterpieces are easier to access now than ever before via digital streaming. It’s clear that McFarlane has extensive knowledge in the history of film, television and literature and I particularly enjoy seeing his appreciation for the Muppets woven throughout his programs. His humor is certainly bawdy most of the time. It can also be intelligent and insightful too. And then there are the tasteless jokes about Laura Bush hitting a guy with her car.

Family Guy is more like an animated SNL encased inside a sitcom formula. Some sketches are going to be better than others. Some episodes are going to be downright weird. Some aspects of the stories will not always going to be resolved. The writers, including McFarlane (because he doesn't do it alone), are obviously very sharp people. Hammering out 66 episodes a year is a monumental task! Stupid, lazy folk wouldn’t be capable of that and remain on the air.

The one thing I find FG suffers from is being too popular for its own good. The show took a real massive change with the demographics going from cartoon loving 20-30 year olds to gamers and teenagers. I actually liked those "This is worse than the time [80's/Muppet/Star Wars reference]" bits, and they're a lot more fun than the pandering comedic sociopath stuff. I really don't like how they made Lois so incredibly nasty. Every so often, they'll hang a lampshadeon it or handwave it or some TV Tropes term, and that'll actually make it funny... but I really think when they decided to escalate the nastiness towards Meg (and making fun of Joe because he's crippled, which kinda kills the character's overcompensating machoness), that's when they were pandering. Thankfully the show is moderating and actually getting good again, focusing on way out plots. I'm a fan of the show, but I really think Seth is in the right to end it.

The truth is TV has changed. Executives have taken note of how much women watch television so they churn out endless reality programs to cater to them. Even though lots of people watch reality programs, that's the main market for Bachelor and Idol. I think women are being underestimated greatly! I also believe that's what killed the soaps. I welcome any and all scripted programs and give them a fair first-shake because of all the reality trash TV that's on.

Reality TV is driving down television and all that what the guy said about Family Guy. It's all trash with no subtlety that people watch ironically or because they're lonely secretaries that actually like Bachelor shows. They're non-union sweatshop programs that cost pennies to produce (until the stars become divas and want more than an actor would) made to be as offensive as possible to get an ironic audience that watches it because they get to look at people they aren't and feel better about how pathetic they really are. Thankfully, most newer reality shows fail on network TV. Cable still keeps churning them out because they're channels no one would watch anyway without their pseudo-outrageous shlock.

As for the rest of TV... well, the thing is time changes. We're looking for a long lost feeling to come through our programming, and condemn it for not being something we really used to love that isn't around anymore. Sure, they haven't made a new F.R.I.E.N.D.S. But if they did, we'd complain about it being a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. ripoff. Not to mention all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. ripoffs that popped up when F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was on the air. I love nostalgic stuff too, but I'm not one to deny someone else something to be nostalgic for in the future. Sitcoms made broad strokes and turned into high concept mini-movies. That's understandable, since every sitcom premise has been done to death, leading us to make either new stuff that doesn't hold attention or to use an oft used plot and accuse it of being a knockoff and a retread. Things have to move on, because a show that lasts too long gets stale. That's why everyone's favorite shows are short runners. And the ones that aren't, they'll still refuse to watch, like, or acknowledge those later seasons when things got weird.

As for Glee... I don't want to really hate it, I never cared for it... but it really seems that it was too high a concept, and it really only had an impact the first season. Same deal with Desperate Housewives. These shows that start off very strong, but fizzle with each passing season. It still amazes me that TV networks want shows that are popular right off the bat, and then they can them for not being able to keep that strong feeling up.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I think to enjoy Glee you need to like the kind of music that they frequently use :/

 

[Drtooth]

I think that television and movies have always had vulgarities and crudities and whatnot, but that doesn't mean you have to focus on them. There's always stuff that will transcend the common form. Entertainment was not uniformly better in the old days. Trash has been around forever and will always be around. No one remembers the trash from the old days. I guarantee there are dozens of lousy sitcoms from the sixties and seventies that are sitting around gathering dust in a vault on NBC/CBS/ABC property because they couldn't sell them in reruns, and same with movies. People only remember the stuff that stands the test of time, and we don't have the gift of being able to separate the wheat from the chaff right now. Twenty years from now people will be wishing that entertainment was like it was now when watching clips of 30 Rock or Mad Men online.

I hate to double post, but this came up when I was finished posting, and it's a brilliant statement I completely agree with.

If it wasn't for Nostalgia Critic and all those funny internet guys who comment on terrible stuff, we'd forget all those terrible E.T. and Gremlins ripoffs from the 80's. We all love Disney movies from the 90's, but does anyone remember Don Bluth's worst film, Thumbelena? And where are you going to get an extensive list of all the horrible cartoons from the 70's? Not to mention the fact that there's a good half of classic movies and TV that were not respected or even well liked in their time. Wizard of Oz for one. Not to say that really bad stuff doesn't have sincere fans that actually like and feel nostalgic for it, but do we better remember TMNT or Street Sharks?

And there were plenty of awful sitcoms we never heard of. MeTV showed this thing with Kaye Ballad and Harry Mudd from Star Trek that I've never heard of. It was okay. Now, remembering 1960's sitcoms, The In-Laws isn't going to be on anyone's list unless they have a love for obscurity.

 

[jvcarroll]

I've got to side with Jamie here on everything about television stated except his thoughts on BBT; I've seen at least 25 to 35 episodes of the show with my mother (it's her favorite) and the overwhelming majority of jokes on there are sexual-related. Maybe not all the plots are, but that show is fueled by sex and sexuality. But I think that television is flourishing right now with people willing to push the envelope and strive for great. American Horror Story is groundbreaking television, as it takes the basic tropes of suspense and science fiction and brings them all together, not being afraid to look momentarily silly or ridiculous if it will serve the show in the end. As for shows not mentioned, Parks and Recreation is one of the most brilliantly funny and humane shows on television, probably of all time. The characters on there may do stupid things at times, but they are all sharply drawn, with realistic emotions and desires and hopes and faults.

I think that television and movies have always had vulgarities and crudities and whatnot, but that doesn't mean you have to focus on them. There's always stuff that will transcend the common form. Entertainment was not uniformly better in the old days. Trash has been around forever and will always be around. No one remembers the trash from the old days. I guarantee there will dozens of lousy sitcoms from the sixties and seventies that are sitting around gathering dust in a vault on NBC/CBS/ABC property because they couldn't sell them in reruns, and same with movies. People only remember the stuff that stands the test of time, and we don't have the gift of being able to separate the wheat from the chaff right now. Twenty years from now people will be wishing that entertainment was like it was now when watching clips of 30 Rock or Mad Men online.

Agreed.

Well, not about BBT. Maybe I don't notice a lot of the sexually-charged jokes, but they're well crafted, mostly harmless and certainly not overly crude. The characters aren't really bed-hopping that much either. There's always some of that in every show, particularly around sweeps, but I wouldn't single-out BBT for it. In fact, the story seems to involve committed relationships. It doesn't show a lot of skin either. I like that. It's a refreshing change. Maybe some viewers have problem with premarital relations, but that's more of a societal norm than an impression the show has created. It's something I don't even notice that others might take issue with. I'll give it that.

I wish Parks and Rec was more enjoyable to me. Everyone is phenomenally talented on that show. It's not like I haven't given it a chance. I just cringe at that sort of humor. I respect it even though it's not for me.